Opinion: Why iPad 2's 9x graphical performance boost is a red herring

One of the big features of iPad 2 is its nine-fold increase in graphical performance.

It's an interesting number, and one that has many commentators thinking - how?

Obviously, the graphics chip continues to be one of the PowerVR range provided by UK company Imagination Technologies. It's provided the GPUs for all iPhone and iPad devices.

The iPad uses a PowerVR SGX 535 chip.

We already know from Apple is that new chip is dual core architecture, which provides double performance. Also, the SGX 535 was a two programmable pipe configuration, and with the new chip thought to have four pipes. This gives another two-fold performance boost, or four times overall.

Obviously, this isn't a nine-fold increase. Are increases in clockspeed, memory and a faster CPU enough to provide the more than double increase required?

It's on these points that the real debate is kicking off.

Yet, the thing to point out is that a nine-fold increase in graphical performance isn't a nine-fold increase in how fast games run.

That's a much more complex situation, dependent both on the overall CPU/GPU architecture, memory issues and how the software itself is programmed in terms of how it uses the CPU and GPU.

Anyhow, as rival chip companies are pointing out, the real performance comparison for the iPad 2 isn't with the original iPad; now 10 months old. It's with other screamingly fast tablets from companies such as Samsung, HP, RIM, LG and the rest.

The benchmark comparisons generated when iPad 2 and these devices are launched will be fascinating.